James Poulos

Columnist

James Poulos is a contributing editor at National Affairs and the author of The Art of Being Free, out January 17 from St. Martin's Press. He has written on freedom and the politics of the future for publications ranging from The Federalist to Foreign Policy and from Good to Vice. He fronts the band Night Years in Los Angeles, where he lives with his son.

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Opinion

If Trump goes down, everyone wins

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Analysis

China's digital nightmare

U.S. troops outside their base in Uruzgan province, Afghanistan.

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Opinion

America's failure in Afghanistan is going to be worse than Vietnam

An Iraqi Federal police officer walks among the ruins in Mosul.

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Opinion

The hard truths of Mosul's 'liberation'

The shattered window of a vehicle hit by a bullet.

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Opinion

Righteous tweeting is a dumb way to combat gun violence

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Opinion

Will cable news punditry die with Roger Ailes?

President Trump had an impressive first 100 days.

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Opinion

Trump's first 100 days were not a failure. Far from it.

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Opinion

The trouble with Emmanuel Macron

A tomahawk land attack missile is launched from the Mediterranean Sea.

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Opinion

Trump, Syria, and the messy middle

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Opinion

The dos and don'ts of protesting Trump

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Opinion

Donald Trump's inaugural address was great

Donald Trump has the ability to make a greater impact globally than his predecessor.

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Opinion

The global benefits of Trump's swagger

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Opinion

The first postmodern political assassination

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Opinion

Please take us to Mars, President Trump

Donald Trump will never get close enough to Putin.

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Opinion

The silver lining of Russia's quest to dominate Europe

Democrats cannot afford to ignore religion anymore.

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Opinion

Democrats need to get religion

Peter Thiel deserves some credit for his intelligence.

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Opinion

Peter Thiel's brilliant bet

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Opinion

How Alexis de Tocqueville predicted the alt-right — almost 200 years ago

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Opinion

Why the VP debate was all offense and no defense

Massive hype followed by crushing boredom.

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Opinion

The first presidential debate was a bonfire of the inanities

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Opinion

How pop culture co-opted politics

Donald Trump's immigration speech could help save his campaign.

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Opinion

Why Donald Trump's Mexico-Arizona trip helps his campaign

Trump outlined his ISIS policy and Muslim ban.

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Opinion

The hidden message in Trump's terrorism speech

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Opinion

How American nationalism can coexist with globalism

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Opinion

We should have listened to Mitt Romney about Russia

Hillary Clinton has worked toward this for a long time.

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Opinion

Why Hillary Clinton's coronation is so thoroughly depressing

The West will learn to find support in Africa.

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Opinion

Can Africa save the West?

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Opinion

Turkey, Trump, and the dangerous politics of disorder

Dallas Police Chief David Brown pauses at a prayer vigil.

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Opinion

How the politics of meaning failed us

Hillary Clinton now represents the some of the flaws of the United States.

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Opinion

Hillary Clinton's 'get out of jail free card' is everything that's wrong with America

People mourn for victims of the Istanbul airport attack.

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Opinion

Europe's Turkey problem is much worse than Europe's Brexit problem

Trump visits his golf course in Scotland after the Brexit vote.

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Opinion

Where the Trump-Brexit comparisons break down

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Opinion

Dumping Donald Trump would no longer be a coup. It's just common sense.

President Obama could have looked at the Islamic State problem from a different perspective.

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Opinion

Obama's ISIS failure

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Opinion

Why the West needs a more united Europe

President Obama is leaving the next president a foreign policy mess.

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Opinion

The contemptuous certainty of Barack Obama